SEOUL: Chinese President Xi Jinping has sent North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un a rare message, Pyongyang鈥檚 official news agency reported Thursday, in his first public communication with his wayward neighbor for more than a year.
The note signalled a possible improvement in their strained relationships, which has soured over Pyongyang鈥檚 growing weapons ambitions even though Beijing is its longtime ally and economic benefactor.
Xi鈥檚 message, dated Wednesday, was sent in response to congratulations from Kim last week for securing a second term as the head of China鈥檚 ruling party.
鈥淚 wish that under the new situation the Chinese side would make efforts with the DPRK side to promote the relations between the two parties and the two countries to sustainable soundness and stable development,鈥� Xi said, according to the North鈥檚 KCNA news agency said, addressing Kim as 鈥淐omrade Chairman.鈥�
In his earlier note, Kim had offered Xi his 鈥渟incere congratulations鈥� and expressed his belief that their relations would develop 鈥渋n the interests of the people of the two countries.鈥�
The last time KCNA reported a message from Xi was in July 2016.
Analysts say that such exchanges have become extremely rare under the current leaders, even though Beijing and Pyongyang traditionally sent greetings and congratulations on each other鈥檚 key anniversaries in the past.
Their relationship was forged in the blood of the Korean War, when Mao Zedong sent millions of 鈥渧olunteers鈥� to fight US-led United Nations forces to a standstill.
Mao described the allies as close as 鈥渓ips and teeth,鈥� and China has long been accused of failing to enforce United Nations sanctions against the North for its banned nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs, even after voting for them in the Security Council.
But Beijing has grown increasingly frustrated by its belligerent neighbor, and rapidly backed a new set of UN measures after a flurry of missile launches by the North and its sixth nuclear test in September.
Professor Yang Moo-Jin of the University of North Korean Studies in Seoul said the public exchange of messages signalled a willingness on both sides to improve relations.
鈥淭he fact that both sides are swiftly trading letters and announcing it carries a symbolic meaning,鈥� Yang told AFP.
鈥淚f the message was more intimate, we could expect a faster thawing of ties,鈥� he added, 鈥渂ut for now, it shows that both sides agree on the need to improve their relations.鈥�